The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services as a Regional Advisor/Team Lead under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the attached solicitation.

Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Names and contact information (phone/email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Current and/or previous supervisors may be contacted for a reference.

(d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.

(e) U.S. Citizenship

(f) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (FedBizOps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

USPSC Application form AID 309-2. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

NOTE REGARDING DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBERS

AND THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

All USPSCs with a place of performance in the United States are required to have a Data

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) database prior to receiving an award. You will be disqualified if you either

fail to comply with this requirement or if your name appears on the excluded parties list. The

selectee will be provided with guidance regarding this registration.

NOTE: As of March 28, 2018, all new SAM.gov entity registrations will now require a signed

notarized letter identifying the authorized Entity administrator for the entity associated with the

DUNS number. Additional information on the format of the notarized letter and where to submit

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phases of the selection process.

Applicants can expect to receive a confirmation email when application materials have been received. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Your complete resume must be emailed to:

GS-14 equivalent ($89,370 - $116,181 - not eligible for locality pay). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate’s past salary, work history and educational background. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two (2) years, with three (3) one-year options

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Baghdad, Iraq

There may be an initial training program in Washington, D.C. for three months, which will include formal classroom training and on-the-job training; and may include security training. After completion of Washington training, the Regional Advisor/Team Lead will be assigned to the place of performance.

8. STATEMENT OF WORK

POSITION DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the office within USAID that is responsible for providing emergency non-food humanitarian assistance in response to international crises and disasters. OFDA is part of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) and is organized into six divisions.

The Africa (AFD) Response Division and the Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East (ALE) Response Division are responsible for the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance through a grants mechanism to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations including United Nations (UN) agencies and to other partners to ensure the implementation and delivery of this assistance. These divisions also oversee OFDA’s non-response efforts in disaster risk reduction and resilience. AFD and ALE Response Divisions also coordinate with other organizations for the provision of relief supplies and assistance. They devise, coordinate and implement program strategies for a variety of natural and complex disaster situations. Both Divisions encompass groups of operations specialists who provide technical expert capability in assessing the quality and strategic function of disaster response and risk reduction activities. The AFD Response Division is divided into two teams: East and Central Africa (ECA), and Southern, West, and North Africa (SWAN). The ALE Response Division is divided into four teams: East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia (EMCA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and South Asia.

The Operations (OPS) Division develops and manages operations for OFDA’s disaster responses by readying people and systems; projecting U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian capacity quickly into the field; and delivering material and technical assistance. The OPS Division maintains readiness to respond to emergencies through several mechanisms, including managing Urban Search and Rescue Teams, coordinating, staffing, training, and equipping Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs), and Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs), and stockpiling emergency relief commodities in key locations around the globe to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division provides technical guidance and expertise in Disaster Logistics, Urban Search and Rescue, Operations Center management, activation/readiness, Civil-Military Liaison, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Consequence Management. It also provides overseas support to OFDA offices and personnel and to other sectors necessary to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division is divided into four teams: the Disaster Assistance Support Program (DASP), Military Liaison Team (MLT), Operations Support Team (OST), and Overseas Administration Team (OAT).

The Preparation, Strategic Planning and Mitigation (PSPM) Division is responsible for the technical oversight of all OFDA response and mitigation programs, as well as preparation for response, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction activities. The PSPM Division houses technical experts in all sectors potentially affected by disasters, and leads the Agency in developing and promoting best practices for programming in these specific sectors. In addition, PSPM will be the focal point for technological innovations for humanitarian assistance in areas such as monitoring and evaluation, assessment, and information management. The PSPM Division is divided into four teams: Cross-Cutting Sectors Team, Natural Hazards Team, Health Team, and Food Security and Livelihoods Team.

The Humanitarian Policy and Global Engagement (HPGE) Division assists the DCHA front office, the OFDA Director and OFDA Deputy Director with tracking trends and policy developments in the humanitarian assistance field. It engages in policy dialogue with other parts of USAID, the USG interagency, other donors, multilateral agencies, and NGO partners; recommends strategies for action to DCHA; initiates development of policy and internal guidance for OFDA; maintains global relationships with implementing partners, other donors, and the broader humanitarian architecture; and engages with the UN to advance USG humanitarian policy objectives and promote humanitarian principles within the USG and internationally. The HPGE Division leads OFDA's communications and social media outreach to effectively communicate OFDA’s story to a variety of strategic audiences. It serves as the office’s primary interlocutor on strategic issues with other federal partners to provide guidance to OFDA on policy issues pertaining to the interagency, and to improve USG humanitarian coordination and response during large-scale crises. The HPGE Division staff manages global programs, policy and outreach, strategic communications, and interagency training and engagement. HPGE is divided into seven teams: Policy Team, Global Programs Team, Strategic Interagency Team, Strategic Communications Team, Global Capacity and Leadership Development Team, Public-Private Engagement Team, and the United States Mission to the UN (USUN) in New York, Geneva, and Rome.

INTRODUCTION

To fulfill its mandate, and to effectively respond to disasters worldwide, OFDA has established six regional offices in the following locations: San Jose, Costa Rica; Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; Pretoria, South Africa; Budapest, Hungary and Bangkok, Thailand. OFDA also has other, smaller sub-regional and program offices around the world.

The regional offices are headed by Senior Regional Advisors (SRAs), who work closely with Team Leaders in Washington, and report to the appropriate Division Director. SRAs serve as the regional team leaders for all response, preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. They serve as key interlocutors with embassies and missions in a disaster, and may serve as the DART Leader if needed. They are principally responsible for managing regional offices, monitoring all grants on humanitarian assistance program implementation, overseeing sub-regional offices as appropriate, supervising the office staff, and developing, in consultation with their respective Regional Advisors (RAs) and Washington-based Team Leaders, the multi-year non-response program strategies for their respective regions. They coordinate with OFDA/Washington on disaster response activities, determine program priorities, and identify and formulate disaster preparedness, mitigation, and training programs for their respective regions.

The RAs report to the SRA; they ensure that OFDA’s objectives for disaster response and assistance, strategic reporting and analysis are met. The RAs are responsible for monitoring and reporting on OFDA-funded programs and activities, and formulating disaster response, preparedness, mitigation and training programs for the region.

OBJECTIVE

OFDA requires the services of an RA for EMCA for the Budapest Regional Office but will be initially based in Baghdad, Iraq to serve at the DART Team Leader in order to meet its objectives of programming, monitoring, coordinating, and evaluating USG humanitarian programs in Iraq.

9. CORE FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The EMCA RA will be responsible for program analysis, strategy development, and coordination with relief agencies, other donors, and USG interagency partners, as well as reporting to OFDA/Washington. The RA will maintain close coordination and collaboration with USAID and Embassy staff across the affected region and in the relevant regional offices.

This position requires an individual who is able to travel outside of the country where he/she is based, on short notice for two to three weeks at a time, or longer, on occasion. The RA will serve as the primary contact and liaison for ongoing disaster activities related to disaster response, preparedness, mitigation and training programs. The RA will work to increase the capability of host governments, IOs, and NGOs to respond and prepare for disasters in the affected region. The RA will be responsible for disaster analysis, program monitoring, overseeing NGO partner implementation, reporting to OFDA/Washington, and liaising with USAID Missions and U.S. Embassies.

Working directly under the guidance and supervision of the SRA for SA, the RA will work in close collaboration with a program team that may include other RAs, Senior Humanitarian Advisors, Program Officers, Field Monitors, Regional Team Leaders, Disaster Operation Specialists, and/or Program Assistants. Specifically, the RA will be responsible for the following:

Contextual Specialty

Serve as an expert on humanitarian issues, priorities, lessons learned, and opportunities in the region of responsibility.

Prepare and/or provide substantive guidance in the preparation of regular strategic and analytical reports on current or anticipated emergencies, as well as comprehensive preparedness documentation on assigned countries.

Portfolio Management

Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of OFDA’s program strategy and the implementation of resulting awards in the area of assigned responsibility.

Guide regional team efforts to develop appropriate programmatic strategies for disaster responses and DRR efforts in the area of responsibility.

Represent USAID in joint efforts to design, develop, and implement humanitarian strategies and intervention with local governments and donor, partner, and UN organizations, as appropriate.

Advise regional officials, including host country authorities and other USAID officials on disaster response, mitigation, and risk reduction efforts, including the review of sector disaster response and DRR plans.

Work with local and regional institutions and private/public sector organizations to incorporate DRR into appropriate programs.

Leadership

Support regional team efforts to develop current and future strategic direction for the regional office to include programmatic, liaison and representational prioritization, and human and financial resource requirements.

Participate in a leadership role in office-wide policy initiatives to ensure field perspectives are well-represented.

Serve as a peer-mentor for program staff working to increase exposure and experience in field-based humanitarian operations.

General Duties

Supervise relevant USPSCs and foreign national program staff in assigned program offices.

Serve in leadership, planning, or program positions on response teams, assessment teams, or to provide coverage for field offices within and outside the region.

Serve in leadership, planning, or program positions on Washington-based RMTs, which provide services and support to DARTs deployed in response to disasters, for up to 45 days. The duties on RMTs will be varied.

Ensure timely reporting of OFDA’s activities in the region through written cables, analyses, strategies, and other requests for written information and/or oral briefings.

Maintain regular communications with the regional (and/or sub-regional) office in the area of responsibility and with OFDA/Washington.

As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time.

As needed, may serve on temporary details within the office, not to exceed six months. Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities as well as directly related to the scope of work provided.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP

The Regional Advisor will report directly to the SRA.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS

Supervisor provides administrative directions in terms of broadly defined missions or functions. The USPSC independently plans, designs and carries out programs, projects, studies or other work. Results are considered authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change.

10. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, there may be some additional physical exertion including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds).

11. WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is primarily performed in an office setting. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, the work may additionally involve special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, and exposure to severe weather conditions.

12. START DATE: Immediately, once necessary clearances are obtained.

13. POINT OF CONTACT: See Cover Letter.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Bachelor’s degree with study in, but not limited to, international relations, development, economics, food policy, or a specific country; and a minimum of nine (9) years of progressively demonstrated experience in emergency relief, DRR and/or disaster preparedness programming and management, which must include five (5) years of overseas field experience as demonstrated by short-term deployments or assignments in emergency situations. Substantial overseas field experience is highly preferred.

OR

Master’s degree with study in, but not limited to, international relations, development, economics, food policy, or a specific country; and a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively demonstrated experience in emergency relief, DRR and/or disaster preparedness programming and management, which must include three (3) years of overseas field experience as demonstrated by short-term deployments or assignments in emergency situations. Substantial overseas field experience is highly preferred.

SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Applicant is a U.S. Citizen.

Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

USPSC Application form AID 309-2. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.

Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.

Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

APPLICANT RATING SYSTEM

The applicant rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. Applicants must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

Professional Experience (12 points):

Experience in international humanitarian response management initial assessments of damages and needs and determining appropriate relief assistance and emergency interventions.

Experience in identifying incipient disaster situations and developing Disaster Risk Reduction or disaster preparedness strategies through working with an international humanitarian or disaster response organization.

Experience in the design, development, and implementation of strategies for disaster assistance and/or response management through working with an international humanitarian or disaster response organization.

Skill and Abilities (12 points):

Demonstration of diplomatic, interpersonal, and representational skills in briefing and reporting at senior levels in the midst of humanitarian crisis situations.

Experience in coordinating with a team comprised of host governments, UN or NGO partners, and USG officials to develop policy and strategies in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

Demonstrated experience managing staff in an international humanitarian response, i.e. experience in building and recruiting teams and managing performance.

Demonstrated experience leading diverse teams in a complex, international humanitarian crisis, i.e. setting goals and objectives and providing direction.

Interview Performance (40 points)

Timed Writing Test (15 points)

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (15 points)

Total Possible Points: 100

BASIS OF RATING: Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Applicant Rating System. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Applicants are required to address each factor of the Applicant Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Applicant Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The most qualified candidates may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. OFDA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an applicant. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.

Application instructions

APPLYING:

Applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter.

Qualified individuals are required to submit:

Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Names and contact information (phone/email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Current and/or previous supervisors may be contacted for a reference.

(d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.

(e) U.S. Citizenship.

(f) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (FedBizOps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

USPSC Application form AID 309-2. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.

By submitting your application materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the application is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the application to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your application may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.

To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any email.